Reviews tagging 'Sexual violence'

The Testaments by Margaret Atwood

55 reviews

bradypus's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Rape, Child abuse, Violence, Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Religious bigotry, Pregnancy, and Homophobia

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Cursing, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Genocide, Infertility, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, and Pedophilia

Minor: Abortion

madeleinedaly1's review

dark medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Misogyny

Moderate: Pedophilia

Minor: Rape, Child death, Violence, Suicide attempt, and Sexual violence

anything's review

challenging dark hopeful inspiring mysterious reflective sad tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Child death, Confinement, Death, Death of parent, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Genocide, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Infertility, Kidnapping, Mental illness, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Police brutality, Rape, Religious bigotry, Self harm, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Slavery, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, Torture, Toxic relationship, Trafficking, and Violence

reb_reads's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.5

I feel like this book, although entertaining, didn't have the same value as the first. I was hoping that Atwood's resurrection of such an iconic text would add to the conversation of its source text and update it for modern feminism but it was still lacking in any sort of intersectional critique. Whereas the original played an important role in the conversation about reproductive rights in the 1980s, non of this was updated for a less white feminist view. It is still an important issue but I was disappointed Atwood didn't go beyond this. Furthermore, the use of Aunt Lydia felt like poor character development and that it actually undermined the work of the first book.  The lack of continuity felt purely like a fan grab for shock factor, rather than creating a new and more genuine character to fill this role. Name dropping June at the end of the book also felt like a moment of fanfiction rather than a complex plot point, and I would have preferred this left ambiguous. The entire plot didn't need to continue to revolve around these two original characters to be valuable to their previous narrative.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Abortion, Adult/minor relationship, Blood, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Forced institutionalization, Infertility, Infidelity, Medical trauma, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Self harm, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Trafficking

thatsssorachael's review

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I'm not sure what all the hate was about with this book. I really enjoyed it, and I felt it was compelling. I breezed through it, and wanted to know more with every chapter. Sure, some things were predictable, but with such lovely writing and a killer story I don't think that's the end of the world. 

If you enjoyed The Handmaid's Tale, I highly recommend this one to you. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Suicide

Moderate: Child abuse and Sexual violence

rosies_book_shelf's review

challenging dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Infertility, Misogyny, Murder, Pedophilia, Religious bigotry, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Trafficking, and Violence

Moderate: Cancer, Rape, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Torture

ajones329's review against another edition

challenging dark mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Diverse cast of characters? No

3.0

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Content Warnings

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide attempt, Suicide, Torture, Violence, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Self harm, Rape, and Pedophilia

hannahvictoria90's review

challenging dark emotional tense medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Violence

abithereader's review against another edition

dark emotional medium-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Sexism, and Suicide

Minor: Blood and Confinement

alessguise's review

adventurous dark tense fast-paced

• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Mass/school shootings, Misogyny, and Violence

Moderate: Sexual violence and Sexual assault

Minor: Rape